Nine-Year-Old Accidentally Shoots A Classmate

12:00 PM EST, February 24, 2012

It was a shocking sight of a nine-year-old boy in an orange prison jumpsuit, facing charges of accidentally shooting a classmate standing before a judge and court.

It happened at a school outside Seattle, Washington. Authorities said the boy took a .45 caliber handgun from his mother's house to school in his backpack and when he slammed the backpack down on his desk, the gun went off.

The bullet struck eight-year-old Amina Bowman in the belly. Luckily for the third grade victim, her teacher, Natalie Poss, knew exactly what to do.

Poss said, "I said, "I think she's been shot.' I lifted up her shirt and saw a large hole and I couldn't figure out where the bullet had came from."

The teacher applied pressure to the wound to stop it from bleeding. Meanwhile, children were led out of the school holding hands in a long chain; everybody was in a state of shock as the little girl was flown to the hospital, where she was in critical but stable condition with extensive abdominal injuries.

The girl's dad expressed his gratitude to the quick-thinking teacher.

"Had she not administered first aid and stopped the bleeding from the gunshot wound, the event would have been tragic," said her father at a press conference.

Meanwhile, the 75-pound suspect was having his day in court; accompanied by his dad and his uncle.

His dad stroked the weeping boy's back as the judge carefully spelled out the situation.

The judge asked, "You are charged with criminal negligence, causing bodily harm to somebody else. That somebody is a little girl with the initials A.S.K. Do you know who I'm talking about?"

The boy responded, "Yes."

It was a heartbreaking sight as the boy hugged his dad and waved a skinny arm before being taken away for accidentally hurting a classmate.

"I just need my son to come home. I'm sorry, I apologize to everybody," said the boy's distraught father.

Bail was set at $50,000 and the boy is now at home with his family.

The boy's teacher believes he meant no harm.

Poss said, "He had a lot of good in his heart. I know he didn't want this to happen."